Audi has released sketches of its reborn Quattro supercar concept, which will be shown at the Frankfurt motor show in September.

The modern-day Quattro aims to revive the spirit of the rally-bred Sport Quattro launched in 1984 and has been conceived as a limited-production model that is
set to be priced well above that of any existing Audi. It will be assembled in Germany and is expected to go on sale next year.

The new car is expected to form the centrepiece of Audi’s renewed focus on four-wheel drive. Company sources have revealed that the focus of the company’s activities at the Frankfurt show will be on four-wheel drive: “We have a great history with quattro four-wheel drive and this will be reflected by what we have in store for the Frankfurt motor show.”

According to speculation, to rein in development costs, Audi is likely to base the road-going production version of the Quattro concept on a modified version of the MLB platform that underpins the A5.

However, while the concept had a 2600mm wheelbase, the production car is likely to use a wheelbase similar to that of the existing A5, at 2810mm. The change will alter the Quattro’s proportions slightly but also add to interior space.

The longer wheelbase means the new car is also set to grow beyond the 4280mm of the concept to somewhere around 4500mm in length. Width and height are, however, likely to mirror the concept at 1860mm and 1330mm respectively.

In place of the 408bhp turbocharged 2.5-litre, five-cylinder engine used in the earlier concept, Audi looks set to provide the production version of the Quattro with a heavily tuned version of its twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8, complete with cylinder deactivation. Audi sources suggest power will be pumped up to more than 600bhp.

The V8’s heady power reserves will be channelled through a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox with paddle shifters and, in keeping with tradition, a Torsen torque-sensing four-wheel drive system with a sport differential offering torque vectoring to all four wheels.

The carmaker will use lightweight materials to stick to its target 1300kg kerb weight for the concept. Sources suggest a 0-100kph time of less than 4.0sec and a top speed of around 300kph.